Socio-economic predictors of alienation among the elderly

A study of 200 older clients of senior service centers in a metropolitan area was conducted to determine their level of alienation and the extent to which selected socio-economic variables (race, education, income, health, living arrangement, church work, and volunteer work) were associated with four subtypes of alienation. Group isolation and powerlessness were found to be much more prevalent than personal isolation or normlessness. Health, race, education, and income were found to be the strongest predictors of alienation. Higher levels of alienation were found among older blacks, and those with lower health rating, lower education, and lower income, compared to their opposites. The implications of the findings are discussed.